UPDATED: 3/12/2020 @ 3:17 PM Safety Precautions at the PPA
Dear Fellow Parking Authority Employees,
By now we all understand the seriousness and uncertainty surrounding the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The Philadelphia Parking Authority will continue to follow the guidance of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PHPD) and the Centers for Disease Control on how to most effectively, responsibly and safely conduct the business of the Authority.
As we continue to engage in planning and discussion around the impact of COVID-19, both in and around Philadelphia, please be advised of the following key areas:
Illness
Employees with symptoms of Covid-19 (fever, dry cough, shortness of breath) are asked to self-quarantine at home and seek medical evaluation of his or her condition. If you are caring for someone who has these symptoms, do not come to work. The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is available to employees who are experiencing a serious health condition. Contact Human Resources for additional information concerning FMLA.
Sick leave policy will be relaxed in relation to Covid-19. Employees impacted under this policy may use accrued leave, including sick leave, for the entire two-week period without providing a doctor’s certification. Employees without sick leave will be advanced up to ten (10) days sick leave during the self-quarantine period. In keeping with CDC guidelines, employees who are required to self-quarantine or are sick with acute respiratory illness will not be required to present a doctor’s certification.
Business Travel and Community Outreach Meetings
After consulting with local and state health officials, all Authority business related travel out of the commonwealth is indefinitely cancelled.
Similarly, all scheduled community meetings or group events are cancelled, or if administered by a 3rd party, will not be attended by an Authority representative.
We will reexamine this directive regularly, taking into
consideration the most up to date information and recommendations. We
acknowledge the impact of this measure as we take into consideration the
safety, health and well-being of our employees, their families, and the public.
Personal Travel
Employees are urged to pay close attention to travel information posted by the United States Department of State. Several countries have been listed as places where a dangerous level of COVID-19 transfer has been confirmed.
Any Authority employee returning from a trip to a county identified on the State Department’s advisory list at Level 2 or higher, will not be permitted to return to work until 14 days after the employee has returned to the United States. You may use accrued time off during that time period. Similarly, employees living with a person who has recently returned from such a Level 2 Advisory county must also remain out of work for 14 days after that household member’s return to the United States.
We strongly urge you to reconsider travel plans to a Level 2 Advisory country. State Department advisories may be found at:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
Cleaning of Our Buildings and Vehicles
We continue to employ an elevated disinfection and cleaning program within our buildings. We will continue to increase the level and frequency of that cleaning and will begin to more regularly clean and disinfect the interior of our vehicles.
We ask for your assistance in terms of these cleaning efforts. You can help by keeping your own work area clean, including the use of cleaning products that are provided by the Authority in your work area, including disinfecting wipes and sprays.
You can also help maintain a clean and safe work environment by helping to stop the spread of germs by:
- Remaining home from work if you are sick and visiting your doctor promptly.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
- Put your used tissue in a waste basket.
- If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
- Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after coughing or sneezing.
We will continue to consult with PDPH, and reviewed
information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to
ensure that the protocols and procedures we are employing represent best
practices and are effective against COVID-19.
Workplace Practices
In order to reduce the chance of spreading illness, it is recommended that we not “shake hands” at meetings. This may seem like a small issue, but it can make a big difference. So, please stop shaking hands.
Also, except when necessary for brief group meetings, such as roll call, no meeting conducted by Authority employees may include more than 10 people in attendance, in person. Employees should make use of conference calls and similar forms of group electronic communication methods.
Meetings in Authority buildings with 3rd parties, such as contractors or potential contractors or other members of the public are cancelled. Again, please take advantage of electronic forms of communication like tele conferencing to conduct meetings of this nature.
Use of Accrued PTO
In the event you are required by Authority policies to remain out of work due to a travel advisory issue or in the event you are sick, the Authority will permit you to use any PTO (sick, vacation, etc.) that you have accrued, regardless of normal restrictions identified in a collective bargaining agreement or the Employee Manual, until further notice.
During this period, your use of accrued sick leave will not count against “Perfect Attendance” in terms of work history, sell back or other related employee benefits.
Further Updates
We will continue to remain in contact with PDPH and adhere to evolving guidance from the Centers for Disease Control regarding best practice for the control and response to CORVID-19. You should continue to monitor our website at www.philapark.org for updates and to review previous communications regarding this issue.
Please free to call our Senior Director of Human Resources, Karen Hyers, at 215-683-9705 with specific questions so that they may be promptly addressed.
Sincerely,
Scott Petri
Executive Director
